Durga Puja/The Kalparambha
THE KALPARAMBHA(8).
Sankalpa.—On the day of pratipada having finished the usual morning ceremony,(9) with kusa in hand, and having done the achamana(10), repeat the achamana sukta. The achamana is a peculiar process of washing and purifying one's self. The head of the family then says, Om the gods always observe that Vishnu is the best of all existences, and He indeed is the eye of knowledge &c. He then worships Narayana, and utters, Om Svasti, Prosperity. Om in this performable yearly autumnal great Durga Puja oh ye (addressing the priests present) pronouncee that ye are pure. I am pure is the reply. Similarly Svasti and Rddhi are repeated, and the Svasti Sukta is pronounced. Om may Indra, the lord of sacrifices, bless us with prosperity, may Pusha the Visvaveda bless us with prosperity, and may Vrhaspati bless us with prosperity! Om the sun, the moon, Yama, time, evening, beings, day, night, air, the dikpalas (gods presiding over the points of the compass) the earth, the heavens, the aerial beings and the immortals, witnesses appointed by Brahma, may they descend on this spot(11). Having repeated the above and placed in the udumvara(12) filled with water, a nutmeg, a flower, a few blades of kusa grass, a leaf of tulsi and sesamum, the head of the family, with his face towards the north, holds the kosa in his both hands and kneeling repeats, Vishnur Om tat sat and utters the following, "commencing from to-day in the month of Asvina, waxing fortnight, Pratipada tithi, to the Navami (9th) tithi, every day I so and so of such and such gotra with a view to propitiate Sri Durga, do hereby promise, after the usual worshipping of Ganesa and other gods to perform the yearly autumnal worship of Sribhagavat Durga, according to the Vrhannandikesvara Purana." The yajamana then drops the sacred water towards the north-east corner. While he thus drops water the officiating priests, one and all, repeat the sankalpa sutras(13). Similarly a sankalpa is made for reading the Devi Mahatmya from the Markandeya Purana as follows:
Vishnur Om tat sat, commencing from to-day, month of Asvina, waxing fortnight, pratipada tithi to the Navami, I, so and so, of such and such gotra, in the performance of the yearly autumnal Durga worship, do hereby promise to read that portion of the Jayakhya Markandeya Purana, which commences with "Markandeya said 'Savarni surya tanayo' &c." and ends with "Savarni bhavita manu" so many times every day.
Varana.—Then comes the Varana or appointment of the officiating priests. The yajamana, to sit with his face towards the east and the priests facing north. The yajamana says, Om you are sadhu, the priests reply, Om we are sadhu and we are seated. The yajamana says, Om I wish to propitiate you; the priests reply, Om do so. Then the yajamana anoints the priests with chandan and offers them flowers, clothes, ornaments, &c., and holding their right knee repeats, Vishnur om tat sat, to-day in the month of Asvina and in the Pratipada tithi of the bright fortnight I, so and so, of such and such gotra, do hereby appoint you who are duly homaged with chandan &c., so and so, of such and such gotra, to perform my promised annual autumnal Durga Puja. The priest replies, om I am appointed, and then the yajamana says, do you perform the same according to the Sastras, to which the priest rejoins, I shall perform the same according to my knowledge. Similarly the Tantradharakar,(14) the hota, the reader of the Devimahatmya and other officiating priests are appointed. As soon as all the officiating priests are so appointed, the yajamana is set free. The priests then commence the usual worship.
Ghatasthapana(15):—A ghata is a large earthen water jar; it should not be less than half a cubit in height and not larger than two cubits. It has a ring at the bottom, so that it may be safely placed on earth without being capsized. Its form is peculiar; the central portion buldges out prominently, and the collar is extraordinarily narrow, the brim is broad and open, and indeed turns out like a bell-shaped flower. Such a ghata is filled with Ganga water, and a twig of mango, a twig of Asvattha (religious fig), one of Bata (Indian fig,) one of Asoka (jonesia) and one of jack fruit are put in it, two betel-leaves with stalk are placed upon it, also a shallow earthen dish filled with rice: upon the rice rests a cocoanut husk and stalk all, with the long stiff stalk facing the priests. A piece of new cloth dyed yellow with turmeric is tied round the neck of the ghata, and a figure of a God with two arms and two legs is described on the central portion of the ghata, with a paste made of vermillion and ghee. The ghata thus decorated is placed upon a lump of fine dough of clay, brought from the River, over which are scattered the five grains. In a small earthen pot a mixture of curd and rice is made, which is sprinkled on the ghata. Every process above described is performed by the priest with a separate mantra. When the ghata is filled with water the priest invokes all the river gods on the ghata, and then reads a Sukta from the Vedas, which means. Om you are the offspring of Varuna, om you are the dominion of Varuna, om you are the companion of Varuna, om Varuna is your associate, om Varuna do you approach. The clay is placed with the following incantation: Om you are Bhu, om you are Bhumi, om you are Aditi, om you are the supporter of the universe, om you are the material of this world, om you are the earth, om you are home, om do you not destroy this world. Then taking a handful of unhusked rice the priest repeats the following, and scatters the same on the dough: Om you are rice, om you are life, you are the life of the gods, you are our life, you are our internal life, you are long life, you give life, om the Sun with his rays gives you the milk of life and Varuna nourishes you with water. Similarly the other grains are scattered, and the ghata is then placed upon them with the following mantra. Om noble-souled jar, you please the gods, you held in your cavity the sacred nectar, from you oozed out a thousand drops of liquor, which made the gods immortal, om you saved the gods, may you save me. The twigs are placed in the ghata with the following mantra, Om the producers, the desert is such without you, life is death without you, the sun is unbearable without you. How he scorches with his burning rays, you save even your enemies the wood-cutters from the sun, you are most noble, and you rule over every region. The cocoanut is placed with the following mantra. Om whatever bears fruits, whatever bears not, whatever bears blossoms, whatever is flowerless, they are all the offsprings of Vrhaspati, may they purify me and this house. Then taking the vermillion paste on the fourth finger, Om like the Ocean you are vast, Indra loves you, with ghee when dropped you describe a continuous stain. You are noble, perhaps nobler than the fuel-wood, which paints everything black. The priest then holds a lotus flower in his hand and repeating the following, places it on the ghata, Om you are sri, you are beautiful, you are Lakshmi's self by day, and by night, you are the stars as beautiful as the Asvina, you are desired by us, loved by many, loved by all. The ghata is then placed carefully and made steady with the following mantra, Om thick-bellied, thin collared, be you soon steady, steady against the winds, against the earths motion, be you are earth, you are well-formed, you are made of earth. Om commencing from Ganga all the rivers, all the seas, all the oceans, all tanks, lakes, &c., come and destroy the evils of the yajamana.